Wilson Times Editorial

Barton College reaches critical mass

A perfect storm.

That's how Wilson Community College President Rusty Stephens describes the predicament facing the local institution. "We're facing a dramatic increase in student enrollment, a dramatic decrease in state funding and aging facilities" he said.

What's really staggering is the number of people the college touches. In the most recent figures available it was 11,229, and the numbers are increasing. That's reaching a critical mass of residents. The reasons are quite obvious.

When the economy is challenged and the unemployment rate goes up, people look to improve their employment skills and education levels. The competition for jobs is greater than before. Education has always been important; now it's essential.

A tour of the Wilson Community College campus reveals facility needs that aren't going anywhere. At some point the college's needs are going to have to be addressed. It's serving and helping a tremendous number of people.

The college helps in a wide variety of ways. It partners with local businesses. It prepares students to further their education at a four-year institution. It allows residents to train for a specific trade. People who didn't complete their education the first time around can get a second chance. Those are just a few of the options available.

The local leadership is also strong and responsive to our community. But they need support.

We fear the General Assembly is far more concerned with self-righteous endeavors such as shutting down Internet cafes than the health of these essential institutions.

Stephens said community college officials have been warned by the N.C. Board of Community Colleges to expect the 2011-12 budget year to be the worst budget year in the history of state community colleges since the Great Depression.

While the college has never put a cap on enrollment in the past, Stephens said this may be something the college will have to do in the upcoming school year due to budget cuts.

"We are facing facility and classroom restraints," he said. "I'm afraid that eventually we will have to limit enrollment because it's getting to the point where we can only afford to offer so many classes and hire so many teachers."

We know the state and other levels of government face budget shortfalls and tough decisions must be made. But this is also true: When people find themselves in tough times with nowhere else to turn, they've been able to find help at community colleges. The accessibility of our local institutions can't be compromised. They're essential.

Barton College is a private liberal arts college located in Wilson, North Carolina. Barton College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, The NC Association of Colleges and Universities; the NC Department of Public Instruction; the NC Board of Nursing; and the Committee of Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association.

* Article appeared in the editorial section of the Wilson Times.